Hi ...my girlfriend is worried about the slow postal service, i have sent her my signed sponsor letter, bank statements ,... and all the usual docs we've had for successful application previously . Did i really need to send these originals? Would emailed scanned copies printed out by my girlfriend be enough?

Hi.In my opinion you will have to add another letter explaining that all the letters have been sent by email because of the slow postal serviceThis also applies to my experience in the past when the Russian lady who was my girlfriend and is now my wife applied for visitor visas.

In the past I sent all the documents that were required by email and I included a letter with the comments about the slow postal service in Russia and every visitor visa that my girlfriend applied for was issued by the British Embassy.

The MIL comes over to the UK every year and we have never supplied original documents.

We either send printed copies over with someone we know who might be travelling back to Russia around the time that the MIL needs to submit her application, or failing thst we just email scanned copies of the documents that she then just gets printed off and submits. We have never included any kind of explanation why copies are bring submitted insteaf of originals, and she has never had any issues with the application or any visa refusals doing this.

Obviously it's up to you if you do the same and just supply copies of documents but I'm just telling you how it is from our experience.